La Ventanilla community in Mexico releases up to 30,000 turtles annually — Mexico News Daily
In the community of La Ventanilla in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, an ecotourism cooperative releases between 25,000 and 30,000 sea turtles into the Pacific Ocean every year. Local residents also protect mangrove forests and the lagoon, while the cooperative safeguards at least 300 American crocodiles, Mexico News Daily reports.
Protection of animals and the lagoon
La Ventanilla is located in the municipality of Santa María Tonameca on the Oaxaca coast. Here, the lagoon is separated from the Pacific Ocean by a narrow strip of sandy beach. During the rainy season, seawater mixes with the lagoon's freshwater, supporting biodiversity and creating conditions for crocodile breeding.
In the late 1990s, crocodile and turtle populations in the area were on the verge of extinction. Crocodile skins had commercial value, while turtle meat and eggs were part of the local culinary tradition. National laws protecting crocodiles in Mexico were adopted in the late 1970s, and those protecting turtles in the early 1990s. In 1998, the authorities strengthened penalties for poaching and overall protection of the reserve area.
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Ecotourism as a source of funding
With the support of non-governmental organizations, the community established the La Ventanilla Ecotourism Cooperative. The project involves 30 families. It is registered as a wildlife management and conservation unit and operates under a plan approved by Mexico's environmental agency Semarnat.
During the nesting season, cooperative members patrol the beach at night, collect turtle eggs and move them to a protected hatchery to keep them safe from predators and poachers. Small groups of tourists can join this process. At around 18:00, cooperative members also release thousands of hatchlings into the sea, and tourists can take part in this activity.
The cooperative receives funds from non-motorized boat tours through the mangroves and visits to an island where animals are cared for. Money from the tours is used, among other things, to feed the crocodiles. In addition to them, the community protects deer, iguanas and various bird species.
